Rotary snowplow



March 20, 1951 A. T. KEAR 2,545,470

ROTARY SNOWPLOW Filed April 21, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS,

March 20, 1951 KEAR 2,545,470

ROTARY SNOWPLOW Filed April 21, 1949 2 Shets-Sheel; 2

27 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS a Patented Mar. 26, 1951 UNITED STATES-rarest orricc ROTARY SNOWPLOW Allen T. Kear, Goodland, Kans. Application April 21, 1949, Serial No. 88,701

2 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a snow plow, and more particularly, has reference to a snow plow of the rotary type, such as can be efiectively used in the removal of snow from highways, streets, airports, and the like. An important object of the present invention is to provide a snow plow of the type stated embodying a novel construction specially adapted for cutting snow, feeding it through the apparatus, and discharging it with ease and facility and with reduction of the possibility of clogging to a minimum.

*Another important object is to provide a snow plow of the type stated which, by reason of its particular design and manner of operation, will perform its assigned task with efficiency and speed, but without the accompanying imposition of undue strain upon the power means for driving the plow. ."Describing the invention briefly, I provide a snow plow including .a drum housing open at its front and having a partially open bottom; a drum, power driven, mounted within the housing; pivoted blades on the periphery of the drum; a special means for causing the blades to assume one position particularly adapted for cutting snow, when the blades are at the front of the housing, and causing the blades to assume another position for the discharge of snow when at the rear of the housing; and a specially controlled discharge chute or spout at the rear of the housing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts Without de arting from the. spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings Fig 1 is a top plan view of a rotary snow plow constructed in accordance with the invention.

, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, portions being'broken away.

Fig. .3 is an enlarged rear elevational view, portions being broken away, of the discharge spout. V

Fig, 4 is an enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, through the housing and drum.

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on line 5 5 ,of Fig. 4, portions being broken away.

Referring to the. drawing in: detail, the snow plow can be moved along the highway or other area to be cleared by means of a truck 5 or similar vehicle. In this connection, although I have illustrated the snow plow as being pushed by a truck 5 in the present instance, I believe it will be apparent from the description to be provided hereinafter that the snow plow can, rather, be embodied in a self propelled vehicle rather 7 "than in an attachment to another vehicle as shown in the present instance.

In any event, in the present instance I have illustrated a truck 5 carrying the power plant 6 powering the drive shaft onwhich is mounted the sprocket 3 around which passes the chain 9 that also passes around the sprocket 10 mounted upon shaft H rotatable in bearing 12 and slidably and universally connected to the power shaft 53. The power shaft is has at its front end the beveled gear Mmeshing with beveled gear 85 for rotating the shaft [6 having thereon the sprocket I? for driving chain I8 thus to rotate the sprocket 19 mounted upon and rotating the stub shaft 25) splined at 2| within the tubular core 22 of the drum having the heads 23 connected by the cylindrical wall 24. Heads 2s extend beyond wall is to provide the end flanges 25.

By reason of the construction which has so far been described, it is, seen that the drum is powered at selected speeds by means of the power means illustrated, the direction of drum rotation being clockwise when viewed as in Fig. 4.

The drum is journaled for rotation within a drum housing, and this drum housing can comprise a sheet metal shell externally reinforced by a frame of steel bar material or the like. In this connection, the frame in the present instance includes the opposite side frame sections of approximately rectangular shape, these being designated 26 and being integrally or otherwise rigidly joined by the transverse frame members 217 disposed in any suitable number or arrangement to provide a rigid and strong frame. Mounted inside and reinforced by the external frame is the sheet metal drum housing 28 the medial portion of which is spaced from said shaped in approximate correspondence to the drum as best seen from Fig. 4. The drum housing is closed at top and rear, but is open at front and partially open at its bottom.

The side walls of the drum housing are flared outwardly at the front end of the housing as at 29 and the upper wall of the housing is flared upwardly as at 30. As shown at 31, the front edge of the partially cut away'housing bottom may be sharpened and is preferably formed of approximately triangular cross section to provide a sharpened shoe for cutting into the snow in cooperation with the drum blades to be described hereinafter.

The sides of the drum housing and its supporting frame may, at the front and lower end of the housing, be inclined upwardly as at 32 so as to permit the plow to ride upwardly over minor obstructions which may be met.

Comprising a portion of the housing frame are the upstanding posts 33, these comprising bearing posts for providing a mounting for bearings 34 through which extend sleeves 35. Sleeves 35, as best seen from Fig. 4, enclose the stub shafts on which the drum is mounted, the sleeves in effect comprising bearings for the drum shafts, it being understood at this point that the sleeves 35 during regular operation of the snow plow will be stationary and are not rotatable with the stub shafts.

By means of key there are made rigid with the respective sleeves 35 the discs Sf disposed outside and at opposite ends of the drum housing, the disc having pivotally connected to the marginal portion thereof the control arms 38 extended upwardly along the drum housing. A plurality of circumfcrentially spaced openings 39 can be provided in the respective discs 3'! for permitting an adjustable connection to said discs.

One of the arms 33 has pivotally connected to its upper end the bell crank AB, controlled by means of an operating rod ii extending to the cab of the truck 5. Other means for operating the bell crank iil can be provided, as for example, there can be a hydraulic control of this portion of the apparatus.

Thus, by operation of the rod M, the respective discs 3! can be simultaneously and equally adjusted rotatably to selected stationary positions. For simultaneous adjustment of the discs 31, the control arms 38 can be connected by means of a transversely extended rock shaft 42 rigidly connected at one end to the medial portion of the bell crank 40 and coaxial with the pivot axis of the bell crank so as to be rocked simultaneously with the bell crank. lhe other end of the shaft 42 is rigid with a crank arm 43 joined pivotally to that control arm 38 that is not r connected to the bell crank 40.

Formed integrally with the respective sleeves 35, and disposed inside the drum housing, are the eccentrics M, and each eccentric is peripherally grooved to provide bearings for rings 45 mounted for rotation upon the respective eccentrics. To the respective rings are connected, at spaced intervals circumferentially thereof, the inner ends of the radially extended arms and pivotally connected to the outer ends of the radial arms 46 are the levers 41 rigid at their other ends with trunnions 43 extending through flanges 25, trunnions as being rigid with the transversely curved blades 59 extending between the heads 23 of the drum.

It will be noted at this point that the position of the eccentrics 44 upon the respective stub shafts can be adjusted by means of the control rod M. Once the eccentrics are adjusted to a selected position, they are then left in said position as long as this adjustment is found satisfactory. Thus, the eccentrics E i are stationary during normal operation of the snow plow, so as to provide stationary eccentric bearings for the rings 45, that are rotatable with the power driven drum. As a result of this construction, it may be noted that when power is applied to rotate the drum for the purpose of cutting and removing snow, the position of the eccentrics 44 will cause the blades 49 to be adjusted, when at the front of the drum in snow engaging position, so that they extend outwardly as shown in Fig. 4. As a result, they cut effectively into the snow, and cause the snow to be cut in small amounts by each blade. The snow, cut into fine particles, is impelled by the outwardly extended blades into the bottom of the drum housing. In this connection, as the snow is impelled within the drum housing and to the rear thereof, it is forced upwardly into the discharge chute 5B. In this connection, in this position of the blades, the blades are caused, by action of the eccentrics, to be disposed in partially retracted and obliquely positioned arrangement, as shown at the left in Fig. 4.

As the snow, cut into fine particles, is moved upwardly into the discharge chute 50, it passes into either of a pair of inclined spouts 5|, these spouts being extended laterally of the vehicle, so as to discharge the snow at the sides of the road or other area to be cleared. One spout 5| or the other can be used, under the control of the operator, by reason of the provision of a shutter 52 pivoted at its center between the spouts 5|, and controlled by means of an arm 53 rigid with the shutter and connected pivotally to an opera-:v ting rod t l. Thus, when the shutter is adjusted to one extreme position, it causes the snow to be discharged through one spout 5!. When the shutter is adjusted to its other extreme position; the snow is caused to be discharged through the other spout 5|.

The whole snow plow can be mounted in any suitable manner upon the vehicle 5, and as will be understood, is so mounted as to be capable of being bodily adjusted upwardly or downwardly as desired, this being a conventional arrangement and not in itself comprising part. of the present invention. As an example of one r mounting whereby this can be accomplished, I

have provided at the sides of the vehicle the upstanding brackets 55 having secured to their upper ends the clamps 55, respectively embracing the vertically disposed hydraulic cylinders 57. Tie rods 58 can rigidify the cylinder arrangement, and in each cylinder is reciprocable the vertically disposed ram 59 connected, by means of bearing brackets 58, to the snow plow external frame. Thus, the plow can be adjusted bodily upwardly, or downwardly, as desired.

I believe the full operation and construction of the snow plow will now be apparent, and it is not thought necessary to describe the invention in further detail, other than to point out the fact that the snow plow has found particular effectiveness in operation, by reason of the power driven drum arrangement including pivoted blades 69 that are caused to be oscillated to selected positions, by means of eccentrics 44 stationarily mounted, and on which rotate the bearing rings 45 rotatable with the drum. By reason of this construction, each blade is oscillated back and forth once during a single rotation of the drum, so that each blade, when at the front of the drum as at the right in Fig. l, is extended outwardly so as particularly to be disposed for effective cutting of the snow. Again, when the blade reaches the back portion of the apparatus, at which it is to discharge the snow, the blade is in its other extreme position, in

5 which is it partially retracted and obliquely disposed, thus to release the snow for movement of the snow through the discharge spouts.

, What is claimed is:

1. In snow removal apparatus a drum housing, a drum rotatably mounted therein, means for rotating the drum, blades disposed circumferentially of the drum and mounted for oscillation upon the periphery of the drum, stationary eccentrics mounted at the ends of the drum housing, rings rotatable upon the eccentrics, and links extending between the rings and blades, whereby drum rotation will cause the blades, during a single rotation of the drum, to be moved through a single adjustment cycle on which they will be respectively disposed outwardly for cutting snow, and in retracted position for disposing of said snow.

2. In snow removal apparatus a drum housing, a flanged drum rotatably mounted therein, 10 1,840,893

a plurality of transversely extended blades mounted pivotally upon the flanges, for oscildrum.

ALLEN T. KEAR.

I REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Giddings Jan. 12, 1932 1,863,474 Curtis June 14, 1932 

